Gear shift knobs allow drivers of vehicles to comfortably grasp and shift the position of gear shift levers to change engagement of a gear of a transmission. Gear shift levers conventionally include elongate members that extend from the transmission or a gear selection unit. The gear shift levers are often threaded to allow for secured positioning of the gear shift knob to the gear shift lever.
Assembly of the gear shift knob to the gear shift lever generally occurs during final vehicle assembly, after interior trim panels of the vehicle have been installed. To install a gear shift knob onto a threaded gear shift lever, an installer positions himself in the vehicle interior and manually advances the gear shift knob along the threads of the gear shift lever. Because of the positioning of the components of the vehicle at the time of installation of the gear shift knob, along with the shape of the gear shift knob itself, the installer of the gear shift knob may not be able to use power tools to assist with the assembly. In addition, because of a requirement to maintain surface finish of the gear shift knob, the installer of the gear shift knob may not be able to use manual tools as well. Further, because of the position of the components of the vehicle, the installer may have difficulty in manually advancing the gear shift knob along the threaded gear shift lever in an ergonomically preferred operation.
Accordingly, a need exists for gear shift knobs that install onto threaded gear shift levers and methods of assembling gear shift knobs onto threaded gear shift levers.